“Get your geek on” at inaugural Tech Fest

A NEW local festival that aims to raise awareness of amateur radio and other technology communities in the region, plus bring together anyone and everyone with an interest in technology as a whole, launches coincidentally on Sunday 4 May.

That’s right… May the fourth: International Star Wars Day!

Organised by the Bendigo Amateur Radio and Electronics Club (BAREC) in collaboration with the Wireless Institute of Australia, the Bendigo Technology Festival represents a chance for locals to ‘come and get your geek on’.

“If you’re inclined that way, this is the place that you might want to come,” BAREC president Neil Patton (*VK3ZVX) said.

*VK3ZVX is Mr Patton’s amateur radio callsign – VK being the prefix for Australia, 3 indicating Victoria, and ZVX being his ‘unique identifier’.

“The festival is an opportunity for us to reach out to the wider community and make ourselves better known,” he said.

“We’ve invited organisations like the Bendigo Radio Control Car Club, who have an interest in radio control systems and so on.

“We’ve also invited the Sandhurst Four-Wheel Drive Club, who use radio communications to keep in touch with each other and to get themselves out of emergency situations.

“If you’re interested in electronics or communication, (general) technology, community safety, or just looking for a new hobby, this could be the thing for you.”

Mr Patton said amateur radio in particular opens doors to a whole range of technological endeavours of one description or another. “It’s a very, very diverse activity,” he said.

“What we’re hoping to do is to widen the awareness and appeal of it within the community, with a view to both enhancing technological literacy and increasing our own ranks.

“There’s a reason behind all of this – amateur radio operators, quite a proportion of us are grandparents and we’re concerned about the future of society and climate change.

“We’re in a position to help do something about it and improve community resilience, and this is what we’re aiming to do.”

The first-ever Bendigo Technology Festival takes place at the Bendigo Showgrounds on Sunday 4 May from 10am to 4pm.

Find out more on the Bendigo Region website.